Abstract

Adenovirus 8 represents the main agent of Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) and outbreaks mainly occur in hospital wards, colleges and metallurgy industry. Adenovirus 8 conjunctivitis are generally severe lasting two to three weeks, and keratitis with persistent infiltrates may be observed for more than a year. There is no actual treatment of EKC and therefore preventive measures appear as essential to avoid and/or limit such outbreaks in hospital wards. We have observed two consecutive outbreaks of Adenovirus 8 EKC in the Ophthalmology Department of the University Hospital in Brest, France. One outbreak lasted from December 1st, 1983, to March 20, 1984, and the second from July 13, 1984, to November 6, 1984. All patients were selected on the basis of positive virus isolation and they were divided into three epidemiological groups: Group 1 concerned patients who came for EKC treatment at the Ophthalmology Department for the first time; Group 2 resembled either infected staff members or patients which came for EKC and which had already been at the Ophthalmology Department for less than a month with another disease; Group 3 corresponded to hospitalized patients which had contracted EKC during their stay in the ward. Virus isolations were attempted at the virus laboratory in Brest (Pr Chastel) using human diploid fibroblastic cells, MRC 5 strain (Bio-Mérieux, France) and virus isolates were identified by neutralisation tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)